Raptors shrug off Stephen A. Smith’s apology “to all Canadians everywhere”

CLEVELAND – The Toronto Raptors say they weren’t paying attention when Stephen A. Smith wrote them off.

So when the ESPN host apologized for underestimating them, the Raptors responded with a collective shrug.

“They ain’t got to say nothing to us,” DeMar DeRozan said at Wednesday morning’s shootaround, ahead of Game 5. “We didn’t care what they said before, we won’t care what they say now.”

Smith was among the majority of journalists who gave the Raptors little chance against Cleveland. But now they’re two wins away from the NBA finals after evening their best-of-seven conference finals against Cleveland at 2-2 on Monday.

After their Game 4 victory, Smith apologized to “all Canadians everywhere.”

“I can’t put into words how stunned I am, I can’t believe what I saw,” Smith said.

“I gotta be a man of my word and just apologize to Canada, all Canadians everywhere because I certainly thought that this was going back to Cleveland, 3-1 … with the Cavs closing this series out on Wednesday night so I wouldn’t have to go back to Canada and go through customs and all that other nonsense.”

The Raptors were back in Cleveland ahead of Wednesday’s Game 5, and were dismissive when asked about Smith’s apology.

“It don’t matter,” Kyle Lowry said, then added “Thank you, I guess.”

“Listen, we don’t hear it. We’re in Canada and we don’t hear the talk. We live in our little bubble up there. We don’t hear it, we’re not focused on it. We’re just focused on our team and getting better and coming to work each day.”

Smith’s apology, said coach Dwane Casey, was the least of his worries.

“I’m more worried about LeBron James and the pick and roll, and his post-ups and Kyrie Irving in the ISOs more so than apologies,” Casey said.

Smith called the Raptors winning two straight against the Cavs “inexplicable.”

“I can’t understand what’s happened to Cleveland right now,” Smith said. “They don’t resemble the team that has won 10 straight playoff games prior to losing the last two.”